Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash Background Art Studio to Close Due to Director’s Health

Art studio Atelier BWCA announced that they will be closing their doors after spending 31 years in the anime industry. The studio is not closing due to finances, but instead due to health issues of company director Hidetoshi Kaneko.

Kaneko worked as a painter and an art director for series like Terror in Resonance, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, and Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash. The studio released a statement saying that his health has be deteriorating, and they made the decision to close.

Atelier BWCA was one of anime’s most well respected background art studios, and often led entire projects on art direction, which is what gives a series its look. The studio was founded in 1986, and has worked on some of the most well known anime. Their background and art direction work can be found on:

Black Lagoon

Blue Gender

The Boy and the Beast

Code Geass: Akito the Exiled

Fate/stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works

Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash

Hajime no Ippo Rising

Hunter x Hunter (2011)

Legend of the Galactic Heroes

Little Busters!

Love Live! The School Idol Movie

Mind Game

My Neighbor Totoro

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Noragami Aragoto

Record of Lodoss War

Rolling Girls

Texhnolyze

Trigun

Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files

Despite the workload and success, Atelier BWCA was a small studio. The staff did not feel that they could go on without Kaneko leading the company due to his health. Hopefully Kaneko makes a speedy recovery and the former members of Aterlier BWCA can find homes at other anime studios.

I grew up traveling around the world with my parents who practice and teach medicine. We spent 6 years in South Asia, including Japan, and my anime obsession began there. Sports, horror, and Seinen are my favorite genres. Favorite quote: "Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." by William James